The President .
I declare that the European Parliament 's meeting which was interrupted on Thursday , 28 th October 2004 to be reopened .
The President .
The first days of November remind us of events in our history that as Europeans we should not forget because , in a certain way , they connect with events through which we are living right now .
One week ago on 9 th November , we celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin wall and with it the Soviet Union , which led to the unification of the continent in the heart of the European Union .
So today , we celebrate here together for the first time this Anniversary in the Parliament of all the Europeans .
The fall of the Berlin wall was the last geopolitical event which was a consequence of the first world war .
Last week on the 11 th November we also celebrated the armistice that put an end to that drama , to that great civil war between Europeans .
Likewise on the 9 th November we celebrated the international day against fascism and anti-Semitism in remembrance of the night on which the institutionalized persecution of a people for racial motives began .
Ladies and gentlemen , we can not rest on our laurels when it comes to the defence of human rights , for which the European Union has fought so hard .
Although it may not seem so , they are always in danger .
Our peace , the peace between Europeans that we are celebrating , is under threat these days from new dangers that attack our values and our peaceful co-existence .
I believe that I can speak in the name of everyone who follows with sadness and concern these days the events in the Netherlands ; the rise in tension and the ethno-religious confrontation .
I believe that this is a good moment to send a message of solidarity to the government and the whole of Dutch society , whatever their origin or beliefs .
We are also whole heartedly behind all those , who because of their personal responsibility , are committed to preventing the useless spiral of violence .
The European Parliament is conscious that extremism and xenophobia , wherever they come from , at the end of the day they are only a very small part of the population of this country . In any case they will not be able to darken the Dutch society , one of the most tolerant and integrative in Europe .
What is more these days of November Yasser Arafat has died , President of the Legislative Palestinian Council and to this Council I have sent a letter of condolence .
Our vice-president , Mr McMillan-Scott , represented us at the funeral celebrated in Cairo last Friday .
For 40 years , Mr Arafat has been a symbol of his people 's fight for independence .
Today , his death offers a new opportunity of hope for peace between the people of Israel and Palestine .
I would like to use Javier Solana 's words when he spoke in the name of the Council , and made clear that the Union should be prepared to take part in a new phase of peace negotiations , if these are re-started .
I am sure that all Europeans want to take advantage of this event to stimulate the effective application of the road-map .
( applause )
The President .
That is a good question to ask Mr. Balkenende ; it is appropriate to ask this question to the current President of the Council , who is the one who brings us together .
I believe that it essential that , at the end of every Presidency , the President-in-office of the Council should come to the Parliament and explain to us the results of his Presidency .
If we do not do it now , we would have to do it in the middle of January , and that would interfere with the dynamics of the next Presidency .
Mr. Balkenende was available to come on 21 st Dec , during the Christmas period , and I do not believe that it would be polite to say to him that we had thought better of it and did not want him to come .
I hope that the meeting on 21 st Dec is the sufficiently interesting to justify the work and cost of calling it .
López-Istúriz White ( PPE - DE ) . - ( ES )
Mr President , I want to call the attention of this assembly to the behind the scenes manoeuvres of the Spanish and British Governments , that are giving a life line to Fidel Castro 's bloodthirsty communist regime in Cuba .
You reminded us that the Berlin wall has fallen , but , unfortunately , fossil assassins continue threatening our ideals of democracy and freedom .
This is Castro 's regime .
I am following your advice , Mr President , I do not rest on my laurels in the defence of the human rights , and I request that you do not allow members of this Parliament to travel again , publicising the regime on our budget and you should support future travels that show and inform us about the situation of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Cuba .
The politics of the European Union with regard to Cuba must not change .
We should defend this , in memory of the thousands of tortured and assassinated people , thinking especially in what happened last year with the summary execution of several innocent people .
No more political prisoners in Cuba .
We ask for the freedom of the people of Cuba , in order to achieve a peaceful political transition and show their magnificence .
The Cuban people do not need either old-fashioned clowns , nor accomplices who laugh at their jokes .
Romeva i Rueda ( Verts / ALE ) , speaker . - ( ES )
Mr President , I would like to thank both Mr Nicolaï and Mr Patten , not only for their presence here but also for the clarity and the honesty with which they have spoken , and with which I hope we will establish a dialogue later .
Indeed , in this Parliament accusations are often made about the violation of the human rights in different parts of the world as well as resolutions that we adopt in relation to the condemnation of these acts .
We have condemned assassinations , torture , ill-treatment and wars , and we permanently condemn the extreme poverty that exists in the world and that thousands of peoples and millions of people suffer .
And , meanwhile , our Governments continue authorizing the export of weapon , which not only serves to worsen even more the conditions of these people but , in addition , means that the buyers spend enormous sums of money for military purposes , when the social priorities and need for development in these countries demand that others goals be given priority .
In the year 2000 , 189 countries signed , in New York the Millennium Declaration , promising that between 2015 and 2050 , they would put an end to poverty , guarantee universal access to essential medicines and equality of opportunities between men and women , as well as universalize literacy and primary education , amongst other things .
In order to obtain these goals , it is necessary that the Governments allocate , at least , 60,000 million dollars annually to the application of the above mentioned Millennium Agenda .
Nevertheless , in spite of the fact that it is extremely difficult to find money for these purposes , the world military expenditure between 2002 and 2003 grew by 64,000 million dollars , and between 2003 and 2004 it was necessary to add another 50,000 million dollars .
The countries of the European Union , were responsible for one third of the world exports of conventional weapons . In this respect we have an important responsibility .
In 2002 , which is the year , to which the report that now we are discussing , refers , the European Union sold weapons and military equipment to the value of 21,000 million Euros to countries such as Saudi Arabia , Morocco , India , Pakistan , Angola , Turkey , Iran , Algeria , Colombia , Israel and even Iraq , amongst many other destinations which , according to a strict interpretation of the EU Code of conduct , should not be in the list of the European weapons purchasers .
Where is the problem ?
It has already been mentioned ; the problem resides , on the one hand , in that the above mentioned code continues to be too vague and , on the other hand , it is not yet legally binding , so its violation does not carry any penal responsibilities .
The European Parliament has always been the most ultramodern European institution when it comes to demanding that the exports of European weapons is ruled by a strict code of conduct and , simultaneously , that these exports are consistent with the constant messages from the European Union in favour of the prevention of the armed conflicts and promotion of peace and development .
For this reason , after ten years of devoting myself professionally to this subject , I have to congratulate especially the Dutch Presidency , for the efforts that they are making , not only with the review of the Code of conduct , but also to get a text which is much stronger , coherent and effective .
But this is not yet enough and that is why it is necessary to remember - we are doing so in the report - it is necessary to repeat the need to review the text of the Code , to make it stricter , to demand that this is turned into a legally binding instrument - although we do not yet have a consensus , we have to work to achieve one - , to demand increased transparency from the Governments and that they improve the information that they provide about authorizations and refusals of permissions . We demand that the Code is also applied to the exportation of material that can be used for torture or to apply the death penalty . We demand to the European Union creates such instruments that allow it to improve the records of the arms intermediaries , either they work from the European Union or are strictly registered in it , and that the legislations for export controls be harmonized .
Finally , amongst many other things , the report demands that the European Union jointly lead , at an internationally level , the adoption of an international weapons agreement .
Finally , since this debate takes place at a moment when some European Governments are thinking about the need to remove the arms embargo against China , it is essential to take advantage of this opportunity , once again , to repeat the impropriety of lifting this embargo .
The reasons for it , are at least threefold : the state of human rights in the above mentioned country is clearly unsatisfactory , this has often been denounced by several ONG ; the fact that , since China is the principal importer of conventional weapons in the world , so further extending this military market will surely imply an acceleration of the armament race in the region . Finally , the numerous risks that it could produce a worsening of certain unresolved conflicts , such as those , which confront China and Taiwan , or the pressure exerted - still un-clarified - on Tibet .
For all these reasons , I appeal to the Council not only to listen , but to take into consideration and to respect the proposals and recommendations made by this Assembly , with the aim of eliminating once and for all the flagrant contradiction that supposes being sorry , on the one hand , about the poverty , the wars and the violations of human rights in the world , whereas , on the other , we help to feed the fire of multiple outrages with our weapons and our silences , incomprehensible for millions of victims .
( Applauses )
Van Orden ( PPE - DE ) . - ( EN )
Mr President , the British conservatives believe that the Code of conduct on exports of weapons has worked well as a politically binding instrument since its creation in 1998 , but that it can still be improved and be made better .
Nevertheless , we are opposed to the Code being turned into a legally binding instrument .
We think that in many cases we have to take delicate political decisions and that those who can best take these decisions are the Ministers with political responsibilities , and not the judges .
A part of the information on which the decisions are based is very delicate and confidential , and must remain under the control of the Government .
Certainly , we do not want the European Court of Justice taking part in this area .
In any case , a legally binding embargo would not mean any more than another opportunity for some States to display their hypocrisy , as we have already seen , for example , with the efforts by some to evade the concrete sanctions imposed by the European Union against the regimes in Zimbabwe and Myanmar , or even the UN sanctions against the Saddam Hussein 's regime in Iraq .
If we read the report by Romeva i Rueda , some of the regulations contained in it would be simply self-defeating in the case that they were adopted .
For example , it proposes the publication of information about the number of permissions denied , indicating the motive for the refusal .
The publication of information about the permissions denied would allow the arms manufacturers and dealers without scruples to find out who wants which products or access to a list of clients for rogue dealers .
In the United Kingdom we have already sufficient laws , but we want to encourage other States to reach our high levels .
You can be sure that any new law that the European Union adopts will be respected and strictly applied in Great Britain , but ignored in other countries .
In Europe we dedicate a lot of time to being vigilant of each other , but the principal problems are in the countries without scruples that do not respect the international regulation .
The President .
According to our agenda , we proceed to the debate about the Report of the European Council and the Commission 's Statement concerning the European Council 's Meeting celebrated in Brussels on the 4 th and 5 th November 2004 .
Balkenende , President-in-office of the Council . ( NL )
Mister President , ladies and gentlemen , I am pleased to have the opportunity of informing you on the European Council celebrated on the 4 th and 5 th November , which has been a fructiferous meeting .
The meeting centred on subjects of vital importance for the public , as are the economy and the space of freedom , safety and justice .
Furthermore , we debated about the " Communication on Europe " topic , concerning the improvement of communication and the interaction between politicians and citizens all over Europe .
Finally , miscellaneous external current issues were discussed , including Iraq .
The recent events occurred in my country oblige me to speak in the first place about the topic of freedom , security and justice .
These events showed in a disagreeable , but convincing way , that it is necessary to intensify the co-operation in these domains .
I am very grateful to you , mister President , for the words of support and solidarity you addressed on the 15 th November to the Dutch Government and to the whole community of my country .
Allow me to respond to those words as the Netherlander I am .
The Netherlands are proud of their diversity .
Since the Second World War , we have been opening our doors to large groups of people from different countries ; some of them came fleeing from persecution , others because they hoped to find a better future among us and were a welcome reinforcement to our labour market .
The contribution of those people to the quality of our society is immense and deserves our thanks .
At present , they and their relatives are part of us , and this " belonging " requires consideration and effort from both sides .
Integration is a complex matter where identities , rules and values , as well as mutual knowledge and comprehension combine .
At the same time , integration requires the respect and the observance of the fundamental rules of our society : freedom of opinion , religious freedom and respect for the democratic Rule-of-Law State , which has to offer to the individuals the protection to which they have a right .
The last time I had the chance to speak in this Parliament , I said , in relation with the perspective of adhesion of Turkey to the Union , that the Islam or the religion are not the problem , and today I want to repeat it .
In our European society , people with different credos may perfectly co-exist or live together .
What is not acceptable is to use religion as an excuse for attacking citizens , schools , mosques or churches , and against this all of us have to fight , all over Europe , with conviction and firmness .
Mister President , in your words of support of past Monday you emphasized the importance the recent events occurred in the Netherlands have for the whole European society , and in this I agree with you .
The Netherlands are convinced that we have to co-operate more efficiently in fighting terrorism .
The upsurge of violent reactions and counter-reactions after the murder of mister Van Gogh evidenced once again that tension exists in the structure of our society .
Also in Europe we have to learn from each other in what concerns the integration of minorities .
I shall now come to examine in more detail the multi-annual programme of Justice and Home Affairs , The Hague Programme , that provides a deeper analysis in both terrains .
Last week a ministerial conference took place where the integration issue was debated at length and where , of course , the existing operational instruments were directly applied .
On the other hand , the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs have asked to deal with the Netherlands incidents and to jointly deliberate about the European aspects here implied , in the Council of Justice and Home Affairs on next Friday .
I shall now return to my condition as the President-in-office of the European Council and go back to the subject of this debate .
